Minas Economides, MD, on KIM-1 and emerging targets in kidney cancer

At the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology Genitourinary Cancers Symposium in San Francisco, California, Minas P. Economides, MD discussed the evolving role of biomarkers such as KIM-1 in refining risk stratification and highlighted emerging innovations that may reshape how kidney cancer is both imaged and therapeutically targeted. Economides is a genitourinary medical oncologist at NYU Langone Health in New York, New York.

Economides emphasized that biomarker development is becoming central to improving outcomes in localized renal cell carcinoma (RCC), where many patients are curable with surgery alone. He noted that a key unmet need is distinguishing patients who are likely to recur from those who may not require additional therapy beyond nephrectomy. According to Economides, this is where KIM-1 may come into play. However, he stressed that the next critical step is defining whether KIM-1 can also serve as a predictive biomarker for response to systemic therapies, an area of active investigation within the kidney cancer research community.

He also highlighted a broader theme at the meeting: the urgency of expanding beyond the limited existing therapeutic classes in RCC. Economides pointed to growing interest in novel targets, particularly carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX), which is highly expressed in clear cell RCC. Investigational efforts include CAIX-directed PET imaging agents and therapeutics, with multiple companies advancing tracer-based imaging approaches aimed at improving detection and disease characterization. These developments, he suggested, may help better define tumor biology and guide more precise treatment selection.

Overall, Economides underscored a dual focus in RCC innovation: refining biologic risk assessment through biomarkers like KIM-1 and expanding the therapeutic and diagnostic toolkit through novel targets such as CAIX. He concluded that integrating these advances will be essential to more effectively individualize care and ultimately improve cure rates in this lethal disease.